Indiewire @ Hulu Docs Goes to Washington

Indiewire @ Hulu Docs Goes to Washington

The festival formerly known as Silverdocs has been renamed AFI Docs, moving its center from Silver Spring MD to the nation’s capital, and holding its eleventh edition this week. The latest edition of Indiewire‘s curation of Hulu’s Documentaries page celebrates this shift with a selection of politically-focused films giving an insider look at Washington DC. Watch them now for free!

A number of the selections look at voting and the democratic process. Jeff Reichert’s “Gerrymandering” explores the process of redistricting, where politicians can literally redraw electoral districts to give themselves, or their party, an advantage at the polls.

Also looking at the darker side of the political process, Francis Megahy’s “The Best Government Money Can Buy?” offers a non-partisan look at the unprecedented influence of lobbyists on Capitol Hill, and how their interests shape the legislation that affects us all.

Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck’s “The Big Buy: Tom DeLay’s Stolen Congress” presents an indepth investigation into both gerrymandering and campaign financing through the story of the convicted former Texan congressman.

Going even further behind the scenes into the power center of government, Stefan Forbes’ “Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story” profiles a key Republican Party strategist and advisor to Presidents Reagan and Bush senior, revealing his role in helping the party gain dominance in the 1980s.

Finally, Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker’s masterful observational chronicle of Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, “The War Room,” provides disarmingly candid access to campaign masterminds James Carville and George Stephanopoulos, the men behind the charming Arkansan governor’s winning bid for the highest office in the land.

EDITOR’S NOTE: “Indiewire @ Hulu Docs” is a regular column spotlighting the Iw-curated selections on Hulu’s Documentaries page, a unique collaboration between the two sites. Be sure to check out the great non-fiction projects available to watch free of charge. Disclosure: Some of the selections are titles provided to Hulu by SnagFilms, the parent company of Indiewire.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Basil Tsiokos is a Programming Associate, Documentary Features for Sundance, Senior Programmer for DOC NYC, and a consultant to documentary filmmakers and festivals. Follow him on Twitter (@1basil1) and visit his blog (what (not) to doc).